Archive for June 2013 | Monthly archive page

For a special Father’s Day gift idea, I thought I’d introduce you to the manliest thing possible: shaving in style.

Being a fairly hairless Asian male, let’s just say shaving isn’t something that bothers me on a consistent basis. Don’t get me wrong, I still do an electric trim each morning to get rid of some unwanted stubble, but considering my hair pretty much only grows in a few places, I’m usually okay with the bare minimum.
Enter Harry’s. Started by the co-founder of Warby Parker, Harry’s places itself squarely in the market for those who are looking for a quality shave, but who aren’t looking to break the bank with one of these or one of these. Sure, you can get the same job done with a cheap BIC (or even if you splurge on a Mach 3 or Fusion, which will run you about $10 at the convenience store), but if you want something permanent to class it up a bit (I’m talking weight balanced and contoured handle, with German-engineered steel blades), Harry’s makes sure you won’t pay for it.

At $15 (shipped) for the Truman Set (handle, three 5 blade cartridges, and a tube of shaving cream made with extracts of licorice, cucumber, and milk thistle, with Vitamins E and B5 and loaded with marula and coconut oils for moisturizing), a start is not much more expensive than a disposable razor at your local CVS or Duane Reade. The kicker is that while the drugstore brands like Gillette give you the razor for $10, they mark up the blades, often selling an 8-pack for about $20-25. Harry’s sells replacement steel blade cartridges for $2 or less ($8 for four, $15 for 8, $20 for 12, and $25 for 16), plus free shipping for the 8-, 12-, or 16-blade sets.

On my test run, the shaving cream lathered thick and spread smooth on my face (must be the thistle!), and the oils really helped avoid any sort of razor burn. The Truman handle was well balanced in weight, and holding it felt effortless. The blades hugged my skin thanks to a rubber pivot that allows the blades to match the appropriate angle of my face. While I won’t say the shave will knock your socks off (especially if you are particularly adept at the task already), something about the feel of quality in the handle, and sincerity in the blade, made me feel satisfied, if even for a brief moment. At $15 bucks and less than $2 a blade, you could hardly do better.